Written Answers Nos. 317-326
317. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding a Student Universal Support Ireland grant in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37671/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, that a letter issued on 28th August 2013 advising that she was ineligible for a grant due to incomplete documentation. This decision was appealed to SUSI by the student and the application is currently under appeal with SUSI. Where an appeal is turned down in writing by SUSI and the applicant remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his or her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form will be available on request from SUSI.
320. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will specify the elegibility criteria for joining the special needs assistants supplementary panel for filling permanent posts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37707/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, a new set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely, SIPTU and IMPACT, have signed up to the Haddington Road Agreement, the Department has implemented supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs for the 2013/2014 school year.
The detailed arrangements are set out in Departmental Circular 0037/2013 which issued on 1 July 2013 and which is available on the Department's website at the following address: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0037_2013.pdf
With effect from 1 May 2013 once an SNA with a minimum of one year's service is notified by his/her employer that he/she is to be made redundant then he/she shall be deemed to be a member of a Supplementary Assignment Panel for SNAs.
321. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Education and Skills in terms of the criteria set down by the student grant scheme, which state that an applicant is judged as having dependent/independent residence from the October prior to their first point of entry into higher education unless they have had a break of three years or more between courses, if an application is made prior to applicants' 23rd birthday they are automatically deemed to be dependent on their parents regardless of their personal situation, if he will clarify if his Department has any plans to review these criteria; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that very many students who are living independently from their parents and who are fully supporting themselves are having their applications refused on the basis that they are dependent on their parents even though the vast majority of them have very clear evidence to the contrary; if he will commit to revising these criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37710/13]
View answerFor student grants purposes, a student may be assessed as an independent student if he/she has attained the age of 23 on the 1st of January of the year of first entry to an approved post leaving certificate course or an approved higher education course or of re-entry to an approved course following a break in studies of at least three years, and is not ordinarily resident with his/her parents from the previous 1 October. Otherwise he/she would continue to be assessed on the basis of his/her parents' income.
In recognition of the fact that a student under 23 years of age can be estranged from his/her parents, it is possible under the student grant scheme, as an exceptional measure, for such a student to be assessed without reference to his/her parents/guardians income.
However, compelling independent evidence of estrangement must be provided to the grant awarding authority to enable this. The type of independent evidence includes a letter from a social worker or other appropriate officer of the Health Service Executive explaining the circumstances of the estrangement. Confirmation that a student is living separately from his/her parents/guardians is not sufficient.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down, in writing, by SUSI, and remains of the view that SUSI has not interpreted the scheme correctly in his/her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the Student Grant Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form will be available on request from SUSI.
I have no plans at present to change the eligibility arrangements in respect of students under the age of 23 who apply for a student grant.
322. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will clarify the situation regarding recently established panel rights for special needs assistants; the way this operates on a geographical basis; if he will clarify the discretion allowed to local Boards of Management to recruit outside the panel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37720/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, a new set of proposals for a public service agreement were put forward by the Labour Relations Commission which now form the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement). One aspect of this Agreement relates to supplementary assignment arrangements for Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and as both Unions that represent SNAs namely, SIPTU and IMPACT, have signed up to the Haddington Road Agreement, the Department has implemented supplementary assignment arrangements for SNAs for the 2013/2014 school year.
The detailed arrangements are set out in Departmental Circular 0037/2013 which issued on 1 July 2013 and which is available on the Department's website at the following address: http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0037_2013.pdf
With effect from 1 May 2013 once an SNA with a minimum of one year's service is notified by his/her employer that he/she is to be made redundant then he/she shall be deemed to be a member of a Supplementary Assignment Panel for SNAs.
In respect of the specific queries raised in your question I can confirm that an SNA who is a member of the SNA Supplementary Assignment Panel is free to apply for any vacancies as they arise, and no geographical limitations have been imposed.
Finally, the position in respect of recruitment outside of the panel is as outlined in section 26 of Circular 0037/2013 which outlines that "If an employer does not receive an application for a vacancy from an SNA who is due to be made redundant and who furnishes the employer with a certified copy of a completed Special Needs Assistants Supplementary Assignment form within the time-period specified in the advertisement or if having interviewed all such applicants, it has been established that no such applicant can meet the essential qualifications that are required to fill the vacancy in addition to all specific competencies and/or requirements to meet the special educational needs of the pupil(s) then the employer can fill its vacancy in the normal manner from all the other applicants for the vacancy."
323. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal (details supplied) to stimulate economic growth and increase employment through the introduction of entrepreneurship as a curriculum subject for second level school students. [37760/13]
View answerThe Framework for Junior Cycle which is to be implemented from 2014, acknowledges the key role of entrepreneurship. In its principles the Framework highlights the role of "creativity and innovation". There are 24 Statements of Learning which specify what students should know, understand, value and be able to do at the end of junior cycle. A number of the statements are relevant to enterprise but one in particular emphasises that the students "should take initiative, be innovative and develop entrepreneurial skills".
In Senior Cycle, there are opportunities to develop entrepreneurial skills through, for example, the Leaving Certificate Business Studies course or through participation in the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme Links modules and in the Leaving Certificate Applied.
For Transition Year students there is the opportunity to participate in the Sean Lemass Awards that include the Transition Year Mini Company and its "Get up and Go" competition and the County/ City Enterprise Board "Student Enterprise " Competition. In 2013, almost 16,000 students participated in the Student Enterprise competitions.
I am committed to our young people developing entrepreneurial skills and a number of initiatives, as noted above, are in place to make this a reality.
324. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will give an assurance that there will no changes to the pupil-teacher ratio; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37805/13]
View answer337. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will give a commitment that there will be no further increases in class sizes in primary schools and no further cuts to primary education; if he will ensure that all students are given the very best educational opportunities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37922/13]
View answer340. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will protect the current class size in primary schools which is vitally important for children’s development in progressing their educational needs. [37937/13]
View answer373. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the threats to class sizes in primary schools and further cuts to primary education, vital services which need to be protected (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38105/13]
View answer407. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to amend the system of paying salaries of teachers in fee-paying schools. [38570/13]
View answer409. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to concerns of parents of children in fee-charging schools that further cuts to funding in their sector in budget 2014 will jeopardise almost 2,000 teaching jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38575/13]
View answer411. Deputy Peter Mathews asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to cut funding for fee-paying schools in Budget 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38614/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 324, 337, 340, 373, 407, 409 and 411 together.
The issues raised in each of these questions relate to budgetary matters.
The budget for education, including the number of teaching posts that we can afford to fund in schools is a matter that I will have to consider with my colleagues in Cabinet in the context of the forthcoming budget. The decisions in relation to such matters will be announced at budget time.
The Government will endeavour to protect frontline education services as best as possible. However, this must be done within the context of bringing our overall public expenditure into line with what we can afford as a country. The challenge will be to ensure that the resources that can be provided are used to maximum effect to achieve the best possible outcome for pupils.
325. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason Student Universal Support Ireland refused to assess a mature student (details supplied) from County Clare independently from their parents despite the fact that they are living independently for over ten years and are nearly 30 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37807/13]
View answerOfficials in my Department have confirmed with Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) that in the case of the student referred to by the Deputy, her student grant application was appealed to the appeals officer in SUSI on 29th August and the student will be notified directly by SUSI of the outcome.
Where an appeal is turned down in writing by SUSI and the applicant remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his or her case, an appeal form outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board. The relevant appeal form will be available on request from SUSI.
326. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) in County Clare who has a valid Garda National Immigration Bureau card was refused a Student Universal Ireland Support application for the academic year 2012/2013 on the basis that their GNIB status was not in order; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37808/13]
View answerI understand from Student Universal Support Ireland that the student referred to by the Deputy has been contacted by phone and a letter informing the student of the outcome of his appeal is being issued.
